Easy, Simple Summer Salad

I am bringing you one of my go-to easy, simple summer salad this week that you will find yourself making time, and time again 🤩. This beauty is so simple, yet so delicious. It comes together in virtually no time – but darn is a flavor punch!!

Want to know what the best part is? It is so versatile!! Once I shot this beauty, I added mozzarella to it for our dinner. Feta works well too, as does avocado, or any other kind of protein you would like to add. The cucumber adds a really nice coolness to this dish, whilst the onions add some heat, and the lemon a really nice tang. I have been making this salad for years and it never disappoints.

The preparation of this recipe is also beyond easy. So easy in fact, that I did not include progress pictures this week. You simply cut the onion to your liking, chunk the tomatoes and cucumber, before chopping parsley, and drizzle with olive oil, lemon, before adding salt and pepper to taste. Boom💥. Easy – I told you 😉.

Why is this Easy, Simple Summer Salad good for you?

Onion

Another regular contender on the blog. Onions are amazing in terms of their health benefits and add so much additional flavor to really… any savory dish if you ask me 😉. A member of the allium family, onions are not only a great prebiotic, but also high in biotin, copper, vitamin B6, C, manganese, phosphorus, and fiber (to name a few). Onions have a really high concentration of antioxidants. These antioxidants may decrease triglyceride levels, as well as blood pressure. Coupled with onion’s anti-inflammatory benefits, they may play a key role in reducing your risk of heart disease. A lot of these antioxidants are directly under the layer of the outer peel of the onion. It, therefore, makes sense to peel as little away from the onion as possible. A recent study also found that the sulfur compounds in onions may increase the bioavailability of lycopene, which is an antioxidant in tomatoes that we will come onto next.

Tomatoes

Sweet, juicy, tomatoes. Tomatoes belong to the nightshade family. They are high in vitamin c, potassium, vitamin k1, and folate. They are also high in antioxidants (amongst others, lycopene) and have some strong anti-inflammatory properties. A recent study highlighted that these anti-inflammatory benefits are even further improved if tomatoes are combined and eaten with olive oil. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make tomatoes a super contender for your heart health. They can lower total cholesterol levels, “bad” cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Tomatoes may also increase the responsiveness of blood vessel walls, and prevent unwanted clumping of platelets in the bloodstream. Last but not least, I want to highlight that there has been some compelling research, which suggests that tomato intake may lower the risk of prostate cancer in men.

Parsley

I did not know this, but apparently, parsley is one of the world’s most popular herbs?! Well, I am definitely here for it! Parsley is a great source of vitamin A, C, K1, and potassium. We have discussed the importance of Vitamin A, C, and K1 many times before, so I want to focus on two different points this week. There are two unique compounds to parsley, which make it special in terms of its health benefits. First off, it contains volatile oil compounds, which have been shown to inhibit tumor growth in animal studies. These volatile oils basically make it a food that can neutralize certain types of carcinogens!! The second unique property of parsley is its high antioxidant content. They have been shown to prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. Research in animals has also indicated an increased antioxidant capacity of the blood.

How can I adjust this Easy, Simple Summer Salad to my dietary requirements?

The absolute beauty of this salad is that it only consists of just a few, whole food, ingredients. Therefore, it is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and nut-free. Do not let these labels fool you – delicious is the only one that needs to be used here 😉.

And there you have it for this week 😍. I hope you enjoy this easy, simple summer salad that is just an awesome base for whatever your creativity calls for 🥰. Go ahead and hop into the kitchen to make this delight and enjoy the heck out of it – all summer long 😊. Are you looking for even more inspiration in the “summer salad” department? Try my Watermelon Feta Salad, or – especially for BBQs – my Vegan Potato Salad is also a massive hit. Remember to let me know how you liked the recipe – you can use the comments below and/or rate the recipe. Happy salad-chopping!

Easy, Simple Summer Salad

5 from 2 votes

Recipe by Ann Robejsek Course: MainsCuisine: EuropeanDifficulty: Super Easy

Servings

3

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

This Easy, Simple Summer Salad comes together in minutes and is super versatile. You will come back to this easy delight all summer long!

Ingredients

• 1 1 medium-sized red onion

• ½ ½ a cucumer

• 4 4 tomatoes

• a large handful of flat-leave parsley

• 1 tbsp 1 olive oil

• 1 1 lemon, juiced

• Salt and pepper to taste

How to

• Start by peeling the onion and cutting to your liking (I just slice it finely). Add to a salad bowl. Wash and cut the tomatoes into chunks, as well as the cucumber and add to the bowl. Finally, wash and chop the parsley and add as well. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and add salt and pepper to taste. You can adjust any and all flavors to taste and you can obviously add more of one ingredient to your liking
• Add any other ingredients (e.g. feta, mozzarella, avocado) and/or any kind of protein you enjoy as part of you dietary lifestyle and ENJOY!